What Should I Do About My Floundering Business?

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers

"What should I do about my floundering career?" A good friend asked me the other day.

This guy, whom I have known for well over thirteen years, told me the other day that he was "lost" and didn't know what to do about his floundering career here in Japan.

This is from a guy who has one regular TV show and a nightly FM radio show. Most people, in show business, would love to change places with him. Having two regular shows is great.

But he is right. His career is floundering. In my opinion, it could come to a crashing end at any time. I'll bet there are a lot of other people, in different business fields, who can relate to this feeling of impending doom.

My friend asked what he should do to help his career opportunities. When he said that to me, I almost spilled my coffee.

I think this fundamental question; "what to do about my career?" And; "what to do about my business?" is essentially the same question. Of course, if you stop to think about it, I have to believe that you'd agree. After all, you are your business. If you do not make the effort to grow your business, to improve yourself and your life, then who will? As famous American Basketball coach Pat Riley once wrote,  "If you are not constantly getting better, you are getting worse."

In the new economy, you have to get better every day or you will not be able to compete with people who do. Trust that there are many young people out there, hungry for a job, who will work much harder than you will for less money. Increase your value by becoming more knowledgeable and more connected.

Isn't one's saleability the same as the saleability of a product or service? If there is a need for a product or service, then isn't creating the demand for that certain solution merely a problem of marketing and PR?

As far as my friend telling me that he is lost and doesn't know what to do, I have a hard time believing that. I had to ask him to open his eyes and get real. I said, "Jeez! It's 2010. Get into the 90's willya?"

Is there anyone who doesn't believe that the Internet is the future of media, marketing, advertising, and promotion? Is there anyone around you who hasn't heard of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Mixi (in Japan) or Pick? Is there anyone who doesn't think that Social Media and the Internet are not buzzwords amongst sponsors and society-at-large?

One the other hand, is there anyone who doesn't understand the idea of "out of sight, out of mind"?

Whether you or I think the Internet is taking over or not is immaterial (I think it is undoubtedly). The point is that, for example in the case of my friend wanting to know why his phone doesn't ring from agents, or why he gets no offers for work, then I want to remind everyone of something all of our moms told us when we were kids, "To receive letters, you have to write letters."

My friend, incredibly, has two great platforms for promoting his brand. He has the radio and TV, yet he fails to capitalize on this by using one of the most effective means at his disposal; the Internet.

My friend does not blog, he does not Twitter, he does not Pick, he does not U-Stream. He doesn't do any of those things! Now, when you see this written down in black & white, it must astound you all. It does me. How Google would have loved to have had a TV station or radio station at the start to help promote their brand.

My friend has that, yet he chooses not to use it.

Here is a guy who has, easily, over one-hundred thousand listeners to his nightly radio show, yet he fails to capitalize on that by not blogging, Twittering, or what-have-you. Is that just plain lazy? Or is that just plain crazy?

It's a bit of both.

The obvious solution to creating a buzz about his business and his branding is to get off his butt and start doing some effective Internet Marketing starting now!

Take your pick, blog, vlog, Pick, Twitter, Mixi, whatever. It's all there for the taking and it's all free.

So what is stopping my friend, what is stopping you, from using this free media to promote yourself and your product / service? That's intelligent marketing.

What are you waiting for?

Sitting around waiting is not a good business plan. Hoping for the best is an even worse business plan. In the new market, you will have to create opportunities for yourself. Begin to do something, blogging, vlogging, Social Media, whatever. Create a good, useful image for yourself with some focused message.

Once you get off your butt and make the effort and walk down that corridor of opportunity, then doors will become visible... But no one will make that walk down that hallway of opportunity if you don't.

Remember, if you want to receive letters, you have to write letters. If you want people to talk about you and to create a buzz, then get to where the buzz is; Internet and blogs, and vlogs. That's not just great advice, that's smart marketing. Get started now.

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